Episcopal Actors' Guild Presents MARROW

Cruelly plunged into a battle between life and death, a gay dancer races to salvage a failing mind while making sense of his new reality in Brian Quirk's harrowing and critically acclaimed play Marrow.

Under the direction of Melissa Firlit, Marrow will be have its New York premiere in partnership with the Episcopal Actors' Guild Open Stage Grant and Resolve Productions in February 2020. Marrow, which had its European premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe in August of 2019 was hailed by Scots Gay Magazine as a "hidden jewel of the Fringe" and Broadway Baby of Edinburgh affirmed it to be both "vivid and electrifying.....solo theatre on a big topic at its finest." Marrow has had solid developmental journey, beginning with excerpts of the play being integrated into Spectrum Dance Company's production, (Im)pluse, which was directed by Donald Byrd and performed at the Seattle Repertory Theatre in the summer of 2017. The show featured MacArthur and the Spectrum dance company, earning Craig MacArthur Dolezel the prestigious Gypsy Rose Award for best actor by members of the Seattle Critics Group and Seattle Theater Writers. The Seattle Times called the production and and MacArthur's performance a "wild tour de force." Resolve Productions has worked to continue the development of Quirk's play, which now includes a fully imagined original musical score and sound design by Matthew Bittner.

Marrow is a new piece of American art that stands up to the damaging trend of harmful and non- inclusive political policies. According to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, LGBTQI hate crimes rose dramatically within the United States in 2018 and continue to escalate.

While there are many factors attributing to this societal de-evolution, it is clear that there is an urgent need to promote mutual tolerance and respect regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

All proceeds will be split between Resolve Productions and the charitable programs of the Episcopal Actors' Guild (EAG).

A visceral and poetic condemnation of LGBTQI violence, Marrow pays homage to the countless queer influences who have made an impact on the world. Per director Melissa Firlit, the power of this play lies in simple, yet effective storytelling. Through this, the audience is gifted with the opportunity to step into someone else's shoes to examine the universal truths that bind us all as humans. Hopefully, people come away from this show contemplating the destructive nature of hate and possessing a renewed appreciation for everyone's right to exist and to love.